The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-05-26
THE PEOPLES HERITAGE.
An Influential Religious Papers Remarks
In Support of the Democratic Land Poll

Icy.
The platforms of both parties, in the
last Presidential election, declared in
nearly identical language that the pub
lie lands ought to be kept as home
steads for actual settlers; and demand
ed that unearned lands granted to rail-
road corporations should be restored
to the public domain. These resolu-
tions were inconsistent with the policy
that has prevailed for many years in
the Land Office of the Department of
the Interior. By rulings" that are
without warrant of law, and some
times in defiance of statute, immense
tracts of land have been withdrawn
from settlement. In 1864 tract forty
miles wide on each side of the road in
the Territories and twenty miles in the
States was voted to the Northern Pa
cific railway, on condition of its COM
. pleting the road by July 4. 1876. The
time was afterwards extended to July
4, 1879, at which time only $50 miles
out of total of 1852 had been COM
pleted. At the present time 225 miles
remain to be built. To much of the
land this company now holds it has
no legal title, because of its nom
fulfillment of contract. And yet it has
been suffered by the Land Office to
take possession, and 1000, 600 acres of
land are withdrawn from settlement in
the Columbia River valley. in order
that the company may have them
xuhor, II oo,,, ,,1otoc itc track
1t SO happened that in 1873 one Gull
ford Miller settled in good faith on a
tract of land in Washington Territory,
which happened to be within the linn.
its where the railway was entitled te
select lands. He filed his claim under
the homestead law December 20, 1884
He has farmed his land'a and made GER
| tain improvements on it, which have
materially increased its value. The
| railway company, seven years after he
had settled, endeavored to oust Miller
He appealed to the Government, ant
his appeal ultimately found its way t.
the President. Mr.. Cleveland in
| quired carefully into the modern yer
sion of Naboth's vineyard, and de
cided that the railroad was attempting
under color of law, to take from
worthy citizen his hard-earned prop
erty. He returns the documents t.
the Secretary of the Interior, with
letter in which he says: II sugges
that you exercise the power and au
thority you have in the premises upo
equitable considerations, with ever
presumption and intendment in favo
of the settler, and in case you find tn
corporation is entitled to select an
more of these lands than it has alread
acquired, that you direct it to select i
lieu of the land upon which Mr.. Mile
has settled, other lands within th
limits of this indemnity reservation
upon which neither he nor any othe
citizen has in good faith settled {
made improvements"
Not only does Mr.. Cleveland thus d,
eide this case, by suggestion" tn;
is equivalent to a command, but
condemns in the strongest terms tt
former policy of the Interior Depar
ment. 1t is perfectly plain, thoug
the fact is not announced in SO man
words, that the policy of the Cover
ment is to be radically changed. tt
:. public lands are not to be hencefort
the spoil of great corporations, but Il
heritage of the people. This has bee
the will of the people from the frs
but that will has been thwarted by u
wise legislation and fiagrantly unju
i official action. Let the peoples lar
, be for the people, says the Presiden
That is sound doctrine, whoever sa
it, and the people have been lookir
for years for some man in authori
who would practice what he preache
I IN. Y Examiner.